Investigating Self-Efficacy, Anxiety, Attitudes and Mathematics Achievement Regarding Gender and School Type
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among seventh grade students’ mathematics self-efficacy, mathematics anxiety, attitudes towards mathematics, and mathematics achievement with respect to gender and school type. In order to examine the difference in self-efficacy, anxiety, attitude and achievement in terms of gender and school type, and two-way ANOVA were performed. In addition, multiple regression analysis was run to investigate the role of mathematics self-efficacy, anxiety, attitude, gender and school type on predicting mathematics achievement of seventh grade students. Results revealed that there was a significant main effect of gender on mean self-efficacy scores, attitude scores, anxiety scores and mathematics achievement. However, school type did not have significant main effect on mean self-efficacy scores, anxiety scores, and achievement scores but have significant effect on attitude scores. It is believed that explaining differences in mathematics performance of students with the help of emotional parameters will give valuable implications for the teachers.
Downloads
References
Aiken, L. (1970). Attitudes towards mathematics. Review of Educational Research, 40, 551-596. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1169746
Alacaci, C., & Erbas, A. K. (2010). Unpacking the inequality among Turkish schools: Findings from PISA 2006. International Journal of Educational Development, 30, 182-192. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2009.03.006
Askar, P. (1986). Matematik dersine yonelik tutum olçen likert tipi bir olçegin gelistirilmesi [The development of a likert-type attitude scale for the measurement of attitudes towards mathematics]. Egitim ve Bilim, 11, 31-36.
Bandura, A. (1992). Social cognitive theory. In R. Vasta (Ed.), Six theories of child development: Revised formulations and current issues (pp. 1-60). London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Birgin, O., Baloglu, M., Catlioglu, H., & Gurbuz, R. (2009). An investigation of mathematics anxiety among sixth through eighth grade students in Turkey. Learning and Individual Differences, 20, 654-658. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2010.04.006
Bonnstetter, R. (2007). A follow-up study of mathematics anxiety in middle grades students (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, 435. (Order No. 3269555).
Capraro, R. (February, 2001). Exploring the influences of geometric spatial visualization, gender and ethnicity on the acquisition of geometry content knowledge. Paper session presented at the annual meeting of the Southwest Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA.
Clewell, B. C., & Campbell, P. B. (2002). Taking stock, where we've been, where we are, where we're going. Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, 8, 255-283. http://dx.doi.org/10.1.1.194.5791
Erol, E. (1989). Prevelance and correlates of math anxiety in Turkish high school students. Istanbul: Boğaziçi University Press.
Fennema, E., & Sherman, J. (1977). Sex related differences in mathematics achievement, spatial visualization and affective factors. American Educational Research Journal, 14, 51-71. http://dx.doi.org/10.3102/00028312014001051
Ferla, J., Valcke, M., & Cai, Y. (2009). Academic self-efficacy and academic self-concept: Reconsidering. Learning and Individual Differences, 19, 499–505. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1016/j.lindif.2009.05.004
Geary, D. (1996). Sexual selection and sex differences in mathematical abilities. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 19, 229-247. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X00042400
Hafner, J. (2008). Beyond unification. In P. Mancosu (ed.), The philosophy of mathematical practice (pp. 151-178). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Hyde, J., Fennema, E., & Lamon, S. (1990). Gender differences in mathematics performance: A meta analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 107, 139-155.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.107.2.139
Isiksal, M., & Cakiroglu, E. (2008). Gender differences regarding mathematics achievement: the case of Turkish middle school students. School Science and Mathematics, 108, 113-120. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1949-8594.2008.tb17814.x
Kimura, D., & Hampson, E. (1994). Cognitive pattern in men and women is influenced by fluctuations in sex hormones. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 3 (2), 57-61. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-8721.ep10769964
Koc, Y., Isiksal, M., & Bulut, S. (2007). The elementary school curriculum reform in Turkey. International Education Journal, 8, 30-39. Retrieved from http://ehlt.flinders.edu.au/education/iej/
Lubienski, C. (2003). Innovation in education markets: Theory and evidence on the impact of competition and choice in charter schools. American Educational Research Journal, 40, 395-443. http://dx.doi.org/10.3102/00028312040002395
Ma, X., & Kishor, N. (1997). Assessing the relationship between attitude toward mathematics and achievement in mathematics: A meta-analysis. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 28, 26-47. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/749662
Ministry of National Education [MoNe] (2013). National education statistics: Formal education, 2012-2013. Ankara, Turkey: Author.
Ministry of National Education [MoNe] (2013). Ortaokul matematik dersi (5, 6, 7 ve 8. siniflar) ogretim programi [Middle school mathematics program (Grades 5, 6, 7 and 8)]. Ankara, Turkey: Author.
Moe, A., & Pazzaglia, F. (2006). Following the instructions! Effects of gender beliefs in mental rotation. Learning and Individual Differences, 16, 369-377. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2007.01.002
Leahey, E., & Guo, G. (2001). Gender differences in mathematical trajectories. Social Forces, 80, 713-732. http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/sof.2001.0102
Mullis, I. V. S., Martin, M. O., Gonzalez, E.J., & Chrostowski, S. J. (2004). Findings from IEA’s trends in international mathematics and science study at the fourth and eighth grades. Chestnut Hill, MA: TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center, Boston College. Retrieved from the International Association for the Educational Achievement website: http://timssandpirls.bc.edu/isc/publications.html
Olmez, I. B., & Ozel, S. (2012). Mathematics anxiety among sixth and seventh grade Turkish elementary school students. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 46, 4933-4937. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.06.362
Pajares, F. (2006). Self-efficacy during childhood and adolescence: Implications for teachers and parents. In F. Pajares & T. Urdan (Eds.), Self-efficacy beliefs of adolescents (pp. 339-367). Greenwich, Connecticut: Information Age Publishing.
Pajares, F., & Miller, M. (1994). Role of self-efficacy and self-concept beliefs in mathematical problem solving: A path analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology, 86, 193-203. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.86.2.193
Robinson, J. P., & Lubienski, S. T. (2011). The development of gender gaps in mathematics and reading during elementary and middle school: Examining direct cognitive assessments and teacher ratings. American Educational Research Journal, 48, 268–302. http://dx.doi.org/10.3102/0002831210372249
Richardson, F., & Suinn, R. (1972). The mathematics anxiety rating scale: Psychometric data. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 19, 551-554. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/h0033456
Savas, E., & Duru, A. (2005). Gender differences in mathematics and attitude towards mathematics among first grade of high school. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 19, 263-271. http://www.ejer.com.tr
Schunk, D. H., & Mullen, C. A. (2012). Self-efficacy as an engaged learner. In S. L. Christenson, A. L. Reschly, & C. Wylie (Eds.), Handbook of research on student engagement (pp. 219-235). New York: Springer Science.
Seeman, M. V. (1997). Psychopathology in women and men: Focus on female hormones. American Journal of Psychiatry, 154, 1641-1647. Retrieved from http://journals.psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?articleid=172620
Tasdemir, C. (2009). İlkögretim ikinci kademe ogrencilerinin matematik dersine karsi tutumlari: Bitlis Ornegi [Middle school level students' attitudes toward mathematics lessons: The case of Bitlis]. Dicle Üniversitesi Ziya Gökalp Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 12, 89-96. Retrieved from
http://www.zgefdergi.com/OncekiSayilarDetay.aspx?Sayi=12
Umay, A. (2001). The effect of the primary school mathematics teaching program on the mathematics self-efficacy of students. Journal of Qafqaz University, 8, 37-44. Retrieved from http://journal.qu.edu.az/index.php
Zan, R., Brown, L., Evans, J., & Hannula, M. S. (2006). Affect in mathematics education: An introduction. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 60, 113–121. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1007/s10649-006-9028-2
The works published in this journal are subject to the following terms:
1. The Publications Service of the University of Murcia (the publisher) retains the property rights (copyright) of published works, and encourages and enables the reuse of the same under the license specified in paragraph 2.
© Servicio de Publicaciones, Universidad de Murcia, 2022
2. The works are published in the online edition of the journal under a Creative Commons Reconocimiento-CompartirIgual 4.0 (legal text). You can copy, use, distribute, transmit and publicly display, provided that: i) you cite the author and the original source of publication (journal, editorial and URL of the work), ii) are not used for commercial purposes, iii ) mentions the existence and specifications of this license.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
3. Conditions of self-archiving. Is allowed and encouraged the authors to disseminate electronically pre-print versions (version before being evaluated and sent to the journal) and / or post-print (version reviewed and accepted for publication) of their works before publication, as it encourages its earliest circulation and diffusion and thus a possible increase in its citation and scope between the academic community. RoMEO Color: Green.
